Emperor Akihito & Empress Michiko Current Events Part 4: May 2017 - April 2019


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After arrival, they visited Nemunoki Gakuen and its art museum in Kakegawa. They were escorted by founder and longtime friend Mariko Miyagi (age 91). It was the first school for children with disabilities in Japan and celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.

The Imperial couple then travelled to Jorinji Temple in Fukuori City to view a monument for doctor Sakitaro Asaba who supported Vietnam's independence movement. They also visited Kondo Memorial Hall in Fukuori.

AP Images

https://www.sankei.com/images/news/181127/lif1811270043-p1.jpg
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ETA: On November 28th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited Hamamatsu foreign resident study support center and Musical Instruments Museum in Hamamatsu before returning to Tokyo.

AP Images, Getty Images
https://www.jiji.com/news/photos/photo_news/images/658/0028972967.jpg
 
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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the Act Concerning Labor and Social Security Attorneys, Sharoushi Act, in Tokyo today, December 5:



** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** ap gallery **
 
Later on December 5th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended Deutsche Grammophon 120 Gala concert presented by Seiji Ozawa and Saito Kinen Orchestra at Suntory Hall. Their Majesties frequently attend concerts conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Mr. Ozawa (83) had surgery for aortic valve stenosis in the spring and reduced his performing schedule. [Jiji]

AP Images (incorrectly dated as Dec 6)
https://www.sankei.com/images/news/181205/ent1812050014-p4.jpg

ANN videos of the 50th anniversary of the Act Concerning Labor and Social Security Attorneys, Sharoushi Act and concert:
 
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On December 6th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited Takinogawa Gakuen, a welfare facility for people with intellectual disabilities in Kunitachi, Tokyo. The visit is connected to Week of Persons with Disabilities. [Jiji]

Takinogawa Gakuen was established in 1891 as an orphanage and was the first institution for mentally disabled children in Japan. The Takinogawa Gakuen Social Welfare Corp. was founded in 1952 and provides a variety of services for individuals and families. [jstage.jst.go.jp, bloomberg]

AP Images, Getty Images, Sankei Imperial Weekly #568
 
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On December 7th, Empress Michiko attended a memorial service at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo for fashion designer Jun Ashida who died in October, aged 88. He was Empress Michiko's exclusive designer for 10 years from 1966. He also designed a dress for Crown Princess Masako for her wedding.

Photo: Jiji
 
On December 11th, Emperor Akihito met President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana for about 20 minutes. Their discussion included Hideyo Noguchi, who studied yellow fever in Ghana and died there in 1928. The president mentioned naming a street after Noguchi in front of the Japanese embassy in Accra.

Source: Jiji, AP Images
 
On December 14th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended a flamenco performance "Ay Sonezaki Shinju" at the New National Theatre in Shibuya, Tokyo. They were scheduled to see the production in Shizuoka Prefecture in April 2016 but the Kumamoto earthquake occurred and was canceled. [Jiji]

AP Images
 
On December 19th, Emperor Akihito received President Edgar Lungu of Zambia at the Imperial Palace. During the ~20 minute meeting, the President congratulated the Emperor on his upcoming 85th birthday while Emperor Akihito spoke about his visit to Zambia in 1983 as crown prince. [Jiji]

AP Images
 
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Estonia's new ambassador to Japan presents credentials to Emperor Akihito | Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Väino Reinart, Estonia's new ambassador to Japan, presented his credentials to Emperor Akihito in a formal ceremony in the Tokyo Imperial Palace on Thursday, 13 December.

In the discussion that followed the ceremony, Ambassador Väino Reinart extended the heartfelt greetings of Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the Republic, to the Emperor of Japan.

Emperor Akihito gave his formal regards to the President of the Republic and to President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, and kindly recalled his visit to Estonia in 2007 as well as the choir singing tradition which he was able to experience in the course of the visit.

[...]
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On December 21st, the IHA announced Emperor Akihito will not renew his driver's license when it expires in January. The emperor acquired his license at 20 years old in March 1954. His first car was a Prince model from Prince Motor Company (merged with Nissan in 1966), purchased in June of that year. He has owned domestic cars for 64 years and currently drives a 1991 Honda Integra. The emperor only drives within the Imperial Palace grounds to tennis matches or East Gardens for walks. His driving record is spotless, no accidents or violations in 64 years.

Emperor Akihito last renewed his license in January 2016, receiving senior citizen training and cognitive function tests at the palace. IHA reported he decided then that he would not renew the next time.

Photos of Emperor Akihito driving: Mainichi
 
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Very smart of the Emperor, but I'm sure it's also a bit sad.
 
I am glad to see 'former members' of the family included in the rather tiring birthday schedule. And even the non-adult grandchildren are included at the end of the day to wish their grandfather a happy birthday before their parents and aunt and uncle dine with them.
 
:previous: Hopefully the Imperial couple will get to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries as they wish after the abdication.

Given Masako's condition, I wonder if the birthday schedule will be altered next year. The empress' birthday schedule is packed as well, see Press Conferences on the occasion of Her Majesty's Birthday (Written Answers) (2018) - The Imperial Household Agency

Photos of the Emperor and his family greeting the public on his 85th birthday: Asahi, Getty Images, AP Images, AFPBB

ETA: Luncheon and tea ceremony
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http://japan-forward.com/app/upload...rthday-before-the-Abdication-013-1024x762.jpg
 
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The IHA reported Emperor Akihito has cold symptoms but no fever. He refrained from the annual ritual Taisho-Tenno-reisai marking Emperor Taisho's death on December 25th. He will carry out office work in the afternoon as planned.
Sources: Sankei, Kyodo

Actually, both he and the empress were already under the weather on his birthday... :sad:

Record number of well-wishers salute emperor on 85th birthday: The Asahi Shimbun
The agency said that the emperor has shown signs of a cold, including a sore throat, from a few days ago and that Michiko had a slight fever
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Some articles about the 85th birthday press conference and balcony appearances:
Emperor gives emotional last birthday news conference: The Asahi Shimbun
[...] Noting that his elder son, Crown Prince Naruhito, will take over as emperor from May 1, Akihito choked up and said, "As I come to the end of my journey as emperor, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the many people who accepted and continued to support me."

[...]

Akihito also spent much of the news conference reflecting on peace as he is the last emperor with direct experience of World War II.

Not forgetting that the peace and prosperity enjoyed by Japan after the war was built on the countless lived lost during the conflict and the numerous sacrifices made by the people since then, he said, "I have believed it is important ... to pass on this history accurately to those born after the war."

Reflecting on his reign, he added, "It gives me deep comfort that the Heisei Era is coming to an end, free of war in Japan."

He also spoke about Okinawa, which he has visited on 11 occasions, noting that it "has experienced a long history of hardships."

[...]

Akihito also mentioned the many natural disasters that have occurred during the Heisei Era. Touching upon the many lives lost and damage caused by those disasters, he said, "I have no words to describe the deep sadness I feel when I think of this."

[...]

Akihito also had words for his two sons, Naruhito and Prince Fumihito [...]

"I think that, while carrying on the traditions of the imperial family, they will continue to walk their paths, keeping pace with the ever-changing society," Akihito said.
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Emperor offers loving thanks to empress for 60 years of support: The Asahi Shimbun
[...] “The empress has always been at my side, understood my thoughts, and supported me in my position and official duties as I performed my duties as the emperor,” Akihito said, calling her his “fellow traveler.”

He also said she also showed “great devotion” toward people related to him and raised their three children with “deep affection.”

Michiko accompanied her husband to the venue on Dec. 20 and waited in a separate room as he gave the news conference [...]

Likening the course of his life to a journey, the emperor said Michiko, who was a commoner before their marriage, “chose to walk this path with me.”

His classmates recalled that since he was growing up, Akihito has restrained himself from expressing emotion as the future emperor.

But the news conference marking his birthday, his last as emperor before his scheduled abdication on April 30, was different. He was often overcome with emotion, particularly when he spoke about his wife's support.

[...]
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Over 82,000 visit Imperial Palace to celebrate Emperor's 85th birthday - The Mainichi
[...] During his speech, Emperor Akihito expressed his deep concern to people affected by a spate of natural disasters that devastated various regions across the country earlier this year, including those who lost their family members and loved ones.

"My thoughts are with people who are still leading inconvenient lives, and I'm deeply concerned about their well-being," he stated. "I hope the New Year will be a bright, good one for everyone. I extend my best wishes for everyone's good health and happiness."

Kiyohiko Hirashima, 83, a resident of Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture, in western Japan who joined the event for the first time, commented, "The Emperor's press conference (held prior to his birthday) and his speech today touched my heart. I'm grateful that His Majesty has always been concerned about the public."

A 28-year-old woman from Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, in western Japan said, "I wanted to see His Majesty just for once in my life as someone who was born during the Heisei era." She continued, "He came to Hiroshima out of concern for residents affected by natural disasters and survivors of the atomic bombing. I hope he will spend a relaxing time after abdication."

[...]
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On January 8th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko received Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, and his spouse Jeannette Nyiramongi at the Imperial Palace. The president is on a 2 day official visit to Japan.

During the 20 minute meeting, President Kagame also spoke as the chairperson of the African Union. The emperor asked "What is the biggest problem in Africa as a whole?" The president replied, "It is a matter of conflict, conflicts remain in various places such as South Sudan and Somalia, which is interfering with the development of Africa."

Source: Jiji

AP Images, Getty Images

https://twitter.com/x/status/1082498256968404992
 
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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will attend the Grand Sumo New Year Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan on January 20th. The Imperial couple did not attend last year's tournament after a series of sumo scandals.

Source: Jiji
 
It must be strange for them doing so many things for the last time...
 
On January 17th, the Imperial couple prayed on the 24th anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake.
Source: Sankei Imperial Weekly #574

On January 18th, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko received the 14 winners of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Festival Emperor's trophy at the Imperial Palace.

Photos: AP Images, Asahi, Jiji
Related to the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake…

Sister of 1995 Hanshin quake victim thanks Emperor for poem on her sunflowers - The Mainichi
"I'm grateful (to His Majesty) for continuing to keep the feelings of disaster victims in his heart," said Itsuka Kikuchi, 39, whose younger sister Haruka Kato, who was 11 at the time, died in the disaster. "I'd like to continue to convey the preciousness of life."

The Emperor's poem on "Haruka no Himawari (Haruka's Sunflowers)" was read during the annual Ceremony of Utakai Hajime (Imperial New Year's Poetry Reading) held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Jan. 16. […]
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Empress Michiko's daffodils inspires Hanshin quake survivor to revive flower shop - The Mainichi
[…] Empress Michiko dedicated a bouquet of daffodils at the charred remains. It is this kind act that Teruko Morimoto has kept in her mind to spur herself on as she rebuilt her flower shop, consumed in the market blaze.

"I think I've been able to come all the way to this point thanks to Empress Michiko," says Morimoto, 68, smiling at her reopened flower shop, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in December this year. "I will keep making bouquets as long as I live."

[…]

On Jan. 31, two weeks after the disaster that killed 6,434 people, Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress visited the market area to encourage local residents. Empress Michiko placed a bouquet of 17 daffodils at a section of the burnt-down market, placing her palms together to pray for those killed and injured in the earthquake.

Morimoto watched the scene from nearby and she was struck by the purity of the moment. "I want to make bouquets again," she thought, reviving her fading dream of rebuilding her flower shop.

[…]

During the "bubble" economy from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, 10,000-yen bouquets were not uncommon, and young men would buy them before meeting their dates. Plain daffodils did not attract her attention at all back then. "But Empress Michiko's bouquet, and the consideration expressed in those flowers, changed my mind," said Morimoto. Today, as the Heisei era -- which has seen repeated efforts by Their Majesties to encourage disaster victims -- approaches its end, those 17 daffodils are preserved at the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens in the city's Chuo Ward.

[…]
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Prisma said:
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will attend the Grand Sumo New Year Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan on January 20th. The Imperial couple did not attend last year's tournament after a series of sumo scandals.

Source: Jiji
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Pictures from this event

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On January 21st, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited the cenotaph for wartime sailors at Kannonzaki Park in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. During WWII, many private vessels were recruited and over 60,000 Japanese crewmen were killed by Allied Forces.

Photos: AP Images, Getty Images

https://www.jiji.com/news/photos/photo_news/images/658/0029380250.jpg
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https://www.asahicom.jp/articles/images/AS20190121001986_comm.jpg
Kyodo: https://nordot-res.cloudinary.com/t_size_l/ch/images/459931613539583073/origin_1.jpg

Imperial couple visit World War II memorial for civilian sailors - The Mainichi
[...] During the war, most civilian vessels were requisitioned by the Japanese military and their crews were forced to transport weapons or conduct maritime surveillance. Few battleships were available to defend them, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by the Allied forces.

[...]

Around 30 percent of the victims were in their teens, they said.

[...]

The emperor recalled the victims at a press conference ahead of his birthday in December 2015, saying, "In those days, Japan lacked command of the air and no battleships were available to escort the transport vessels. It gives me great pain to think of the feelings of those sailors who were forced to engage in such transport operations under those conditions."
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ETA: Later on January 21st, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko travelled to Hayama Imperial Villa in Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture. They greeted well-wishers at the beach and will stay at the villa until the 25th.

Getty Images, Asahi gallery

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Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko viewed a photo exhibition at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi in Tokyo today, January 26:


** ap gallery **
 
:previous: Thanks! The photo exhibition commemorates their 60 year marriage. Titled "Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress: Walking 60 years Together," the exhibit features 135 photos provided by news agencies, divided into 9 themes such as engagement/marriage, international exchange, disaster area visits, and private activities. The exhibit runs until the 28th.

Sources: Mainichi, Asahi, Jiji

fnn.jp video

https://twitter.com/x/status/1089185183159410689
 
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Emperor Akihito received Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani at the Imperial Palace today, January 30:


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** ap gallery **
 
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Wow, that chair is really not sized for the Emir. That must have been an uncomfortable sit for him.

Nice to see the Emperor looking well.
 
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